Rafa Benitez has pulled no punches according to this article (http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/european/article2581119.ece), he seems to be implying that he can't go any further at Liverpool unless there are off the pitch changes. It looks like his working relationship with chief Exec Rick Parry has broken down and there isnt room for both of them at Anfield.

With George Gillett's son Foster coming over in August to have a hands on role I can see Parry being sent on his way. He has a tendency to leave his phone off at crucial times or just not bother to answer it (when Gerrard desperately wanted his new contract sorted for example in 2005, or when Gillett kept ringing him to plead with him to have a chance to buy the club instead of the Dubai people). Given Tom Hicks publicly kicked Parry's arse over the final tickets allocation, causing Parry to come clean over the numbers in the ballot after initially refusing to do so, he looks like a dead man walking to me.

I've been told by Liverpool fans that Parry's ticket allocation for the final was 100 :eek:

On the radio news at 8.30am that Rafa will walk if not given millions. Now where's my dummy gone, I put it here somewhere :slywink:

David Fairclough actually made the excuse that Benitez had been working with a shoestring budget :disgust: I'd love David Moyes to have the shoestring he's had.

David Fairclough actually made the excuse that Benitez had been working with a shoestring budget :disgust: I'd love David Moyes to have the shoestring he's had.

Compared to Man United and Chelsea he has. Chelsea can spend £21 million on a winger they dont need just to make sure their rivals dont get him, man United can spend £18 million on a midfielder. Liverpool's ability to compete has been undermined by the fact much of the 2004 transfer budget was spent on Cisse, a player Rafa didnt want, as well as the fact £14 million was spent paying off Houllier and his cronies. Rafa has worked miracles to take Liverpool to 2 Champions League finals in 3 years.

I don't think anyone can compete with Abramovich's hobby that is Chelsea. ManU on the other hand tend to splash out on the occasional big buy and in my opinion buy wisely. Benitez has squandered the money available to him on very ordinary players, lots of money. I'm pretty certain too that Liverpool have spent loads more than ManU during Benitez's time there. I'll try and dig out the figures on that. Don't take this the wrong way and think that me being a blue that I'm having a dig at the reds. This view is voiced by my friends and workmates who are reds too.

I don't think anyone can compete with Abramovich's hobby that is Chelsea.

Thankfully Mourhinho seems to have lost the plot somewhat.



ManU on the other hand tend to splash out on the occasional big buy and in my opinion buy wisely.

Ferguson has had over 20 years now, he's made some great signings but he's also signed his fair share of big money flops.

Recently he's spent big money on established players that have already proven themselves.


Benitez has squandered the money available to him on very ordinary players, lots of money. I'm pretty certain too that Liverpool have spent loads more than ManU during Benitez's time there. I'll try and dig out the figures on that. Don't take this the wrong way and think that me being a blue that I'm having a dig at the reds. This view is voiced by my friends and workmates who are reds too.

It might be voiced by them too but it doesn't mean that it's true.:rolleyes:

Most of Rafa's signings have been good ones. Alonso, Reina, Mascherano, Sissoko, Agger, Garcia, Kuyt and Crouch have been all good buys. Signings like Pennant, Zenden and Belamy have been decent squad players but certainly wouldn't have been Rafa's first choices, if he'd had the money I'm sure he would have preferred Alves and Ribery.

The jury is still out on the likes of Aurelio and Arbeloa and time will tell about youngsters like Insua and El Zhar but I've been impressed by what I've seen of them.

I'm not saying that he hasn't bought a few plonkers (Nunez, Pellegrino, Paletta etc) but to say that he's squandered his money doesn't seem fair to me.

After all, you don't get to two European Cups in three years by signing ordinary players and as much as I love Stevie and Carra it isn't all down to them.

Houllier spent an absolute fortune during his time there compared to the then top 3 but with all the prems utd have won, plus the cups in between, i'm sure the Mancs forgive his first few barren years.

In relation to MarkA's message about Everton, we have literally had pocket money and have done very well to come 4th and 6th in the last 3 years.

I used to have 'debates' with a workmate who said money meant nothing - cue Chelsea who now have leapfrogged quite a few wouldn't you say, he say's nothing these days regarding money meaning nothing.

I didn't have to look too hard for figures as someone posted an article by Sam Wallace (The Independent) on another forum.

http://members.boardhost.com/peoplesforum/msg/1180092816.html

As I thought, Liverpool's expenditure is more, although their net spending is less.

Interestingly he goes along with the views of my friends and colleagues...

His transfer record has not been exemplary so far. Xabi Alonso, Jose Reina and Peter Crouch can be counted among his successes but a closer scrutiny of profit and loss tells another story. Benitez should try recouping his £4.5m when he sells Mark Gonzalez to Real Betis or reassessing the price of £9m for Dirk Kuyt. And will Gabriel Paletta ever be worth £2m again? Over the last two transfer windows Benitez has spent £18.3m on Kuyt, Jermaine Pennant and Arbeloa alone.

As you said earlier, i'd love our average net spending over 3 years to be 15.33M if we've seen what Moyes do with 2 and sixpence.

If we could make Fernandez permanant and replace Beattie with Nugent perhaps and bolster the midfield with a Barton type player (without the baggage) 6th would be the least expected unlike the near miracle achieved this time out.

Unfortunately, our best hope for Fernadez would be a season long loan as the quoted £12m for him is out of our league. Looks like we'll have to make do with Jagielka instead.

I didn't have to look too hard for figures as someone posted an article by Sam Wallace (The Independent) on another forum.

http://members.boardhost.com/peoplesforum/msg/1180092816.html

As I thought, Liverpool's expenditure is more, although their net spending is less.

Interestingly he goes along with the views of my friends and colleagues...

His transfer record has not been exemplary so far. Xabi Alonso, Jose Reina and Peter Crouch can be counted among his successes but a closer scrutiny of profit and loss tells another story. Benitez should try recouping his £4.5m when he sells Mark Gonzalez to Real Betis or reassessing the price of £9m for Dirk Kuyt. And will Gabriel Paletta ever be worth £2m again? Over the last two transfer windows Benitez has spent £18.3m on Kuyt, Jermaine Pennant and Arbeloa alone.

While I'm sure Sam Wallace went down quite well with those on Toffeeweb his comments hardly come accross as being objective.

He talks of negative tactics in Athens but conveniently ignores the fact that we created most of the chances, outshot Milan 17 to 7 had more corners and the lions share of the territorial advantage (64%).

A rather slanted view of Rafa's transfers too imho. He talks about Crouch, Reina and Alonso as being successes, but doesn't mention a great buy like Agger a steal like Sissoko or the coup of attracting Mascherano away from under the noses of every other top club in the world who wanted him.

Would we recoup the 9,000,000 that we spent on Kuyt ? Er yes Sam, as any Liverpool supporter will tell you Kuyt is pure class, he's not your 20+ a season goal scorer but his work rate is phenomenal, just watch him next season when (hopefully) we sign that big name goal scorer to play along side him.

As I've said, Rafa's signings ain't that bad at all, especially considering the two trips to the European Cup final not forgetting an FA Cup in his three seasons................certainly a hell of a lot better than Ferguson did in his first few years.

Dunno much about Sam Wallace, he's a London based journo I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that he supports a certain blue team in the west end ?

He certainly sounds like he's got a bit of an axe to grind.:rolleyes:

we've seen what Moyes do with 2 and sixpence.



I saw what he did with the 6,000,000 that he spent on James Beattie.:rolleyes:

Still chicken feed to what the big 3 and Liverpool spend though :rolleyes:

He more than made up for that with astute buys like Cahill, Johnson, Arteta, Lescott and Howard though and the bringing through of Vaughan and Anichebe.

I knew I shouldn't have posted the article link *snaps fingers in a dagnammit type of way*, I only wanted the expenditure data. I agree that he's probably from the south, I'll have to read through Brian Reade's stuff to see what he has to say about it.

Mark.

Still chicken feed to what the big 3 and Liverpool spend though :rolleyes:


True Ged, I was just pointing out that having cash doesn't neccessarly mean that Moyse is going to spend it wisely.

What's the deal with Artetta btw ? Is he locked up to a contract ?

He's one I wouldn't mind calling up to the big club. ;)

Still got 3 years left on his contract but they want to tie him down for longer on an increased wedge.

I'm surprised that the lightweights didn't tempt him over but I think he'd rather be a main player than a bit part in a merry go round where you can score an important match winner then be dropped.

Beattie is ok if you want the sort of legwork you mentioned you get with Kuyt but as Sharpy says, a striker will always be judged on hitting the onion bag.

[QUOTE=Ged;59501]I'm surprised that the lightweights didn't tempt him over but I think he'd rather be a main player than a bit part in a merry go round where you can score an important match winner then be dropped.

QUOTE]

Yeah that's right Ged, why would he want to be competing for the big prizes with the ahem "lightweights" ?:badgrin:

You'll always get players who are content to be the big fish in the small pond, I have a feeling though that Artetta ain't going to be one of them though.:rolleyes:

I thought Garcia and Alonso (they're the lightweights, the former being the scapegoat for lashings from his own fans in this here very office) might have tempted him over but why would they put their own places in jeopardy after seeing what happened to Morientes. I see we both finished trophyless this season after you remarking as well they were we going to - you must've been mighty confident against those lightweights of Milan. :slywink:

Like I said, give us 15 mil :)

I thought Garcia and Alonso (they're the lightweights, the former being the scapegoat for lashings from his own fans in this here very office) might have tempted him over but why would they put their own places in jeopardy after seeing what happened to Morientes.

Actually I like Garcia but he frustrates the life out of me, he can look like a worldbeater one week and then go missing the next time out. Alonso could never be described as a lightweight by anyone objective.

And I have no idea what you think happened to Morrientes ? I think everyone thought he was going to be a great addition when Rafa signed him, and lord knows he got enough chances, but for whatever reason apart from a few glimpses we never got to see the player that looked so good back in Spain.


I see we both finished trophyless this season after you remarking as well they were we going to - you must've been mighty confident against those lightweights of Milan. :slywink:


Confident ? Not me Ged, I always hope we'll win but I've supported this team too long to start saying that I was confident especially against a team like AC Milan.

And er yes, we both did finish trophyless (if you exclude the Community Shield and FA Youth Cup :unibrow:) but I think if we were being honest you'd probably admit that you'd rather be in with a chance up to May 23rd rather than have your season pretty much over in January ?:rolleyes:

Like I said, give us 15 mil :)

Cheer up, you'll be rolling in it once Tesco's take over.:PDT11